THE MARIJUANA EFFECT. GOVERNOR SHUMLIN HAS COMMISSIONED A STUDY TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF VERMONT DID WHAT COLORADO AND WASHINGTON HAVE ALREADY DONE -- LEGALIZE, REGULATE AND TAX POT SALES. WPTZ'S BRIDGET SHANAHAN JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR THE FUTURE, BRIDGET? THIS POT STUDY IS A RESULT OF A BILL THE LEGISLATURE PASSED THIS SESSION -- WHICH WAS INSPIRED IN PART BY THE RECENT LEGALIZATION OF THE DRUG IN COLORADO AND WASHINGTON. GOVERNOR SHUMLIN TELLS NEWSCHANNEL FIVE THIS DOESN'T MEAN THE STATE IS FOR OR AGAINST LEGALIZATION -- THEY JUST WANT THE FACTS. THIS STUDY WAS PASSED AS PART OF A LARGER BILL THAT EXPANDS VERMONT MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE. THE LAW ALSO REMOVED THE CAP THAT PREVIOUSLY LIMITED THE NUMBER OF POT PATIENTS TO ONE THOUSAND -- AND ALSO NOW ALLOWS FOR HOME DELIVERY OF THE HERBAL MEDICINE. THE RAND CORPORATION IS DOING THE STUDY WHICH IS COSTING TAXPAYERS 20- THOUSAND DOLLARS -- THE REST OF THE MONEY IS COMING FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES. 14.46 Really the question is if Vermont were to go the route of Colorado and Washington state - what would it mean for the state. What would it mean for health? What would it mean for safety? What would it mean revenue? All the questions, frankly that have always been hypothetical you can now get real tangible data from. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT BACK IN 20-12 BURLINGTON VOTERS PASSED A RESOLUTION WITH 70-PERCENT OF THE VOTE BASICALLY SAYING THE CITY SUPPORTS THE LEGALIZATION AND TAXATION OF BOTH MARIJUANA AND HEMP PRODUCTS. THE VOTE DIDN'T CHANGE ANY LAWS -- BUT DID SHOW VERMONT'S LARGEST CITY IS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF LEGALIZATION. THE STATEWIDE STUDY THAT'S BEEN COMMISSIONED BY THE LEGISLATURE IS THOUGHT BY MANY TO SET THE STAGE FOR A ROBUST DEBATE ABOUT THE LEGALIZATION OF POT IN VERMONT. BRIDGET SHANAHAN WPTZ